Why We Reclaim the Sacred

Because We Were Told We Didn't Belong. So We Built Our Own.

For many of us in the queer community, religion wasn't just a place of worship—it was a place of rejection. It was a sermon that never said our names unless it was followed by shame. It was a doctrine that taught others to fear us, pity us, or erase us entirely.

At Pray and Slay Co, we’re not mocking faith—we're reclaiming it.

We are the ones who stayed silent in pews, who prayed to be different, who begged to be loved as we were. We are the ones who were baptized and abandoned, confirmed and condemned. And yet—we’re still here.

Our art, our fashion, and our storytelling honor the pieces of ourselves we were taught to exile. We embrace the divine within us and celebrate the beauty of chosen family, liberation, and queer joy.

Boozy Drag Brunch (BDB) was born from that longing—for community, for ritual, for reverence. We made our own sanctuary where sequins are sacred and all are welcome.

This space is for those who never saw themselves in stained glass but knew they were holy anyway.

We name the harm and transform it. We carry the trauma and the glitter. Because we know faith without justice is just control—and we are done being controlled.

If our work unsettles you, we invite you to reflect on why. Queerness isn’t the problem—exclusion is. And if you’re ready to unlearn, to listen, and to grow—welcome. There’s room for you here, too.

Learn More: Resources on Religious Harm Toward LGBTQ+ People

Religion has long been used to justify exclusion, but that doesn’t mean it holds the only truth. If you’re unpacking your own spiritual past or seeking to better understand the wounds many queer folks carry from faith spaces, these resources offer powerful insights and context.

🔎 Articles & Essays

The Bible and Homosexuality – Human Rights Campaign
A breakdown of commonly misused Bible verses and the deeper truths behind them.
🌐 hrc.org/resources/the-bible-and-homosexuality

How Christianity Became Anti-Gay – The Atlantic
A compelling history of how anti-LGBTQ+ ideology got baked into American evangelical culture.
🌐 theatlantic.com

The Long History of LGBTQ+ People in Religion – The Conversation
Proof that queer people have always existed in sacred traditions—our stories were just erased.
🌐 theconversation.com

📖 Books to Read & Reclaim

📘 God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines
A heartfelt, scripture-based argument for full LGBTQ+ inclusion in Christianity.

📘 Unclobber by Colby Martin
Written by a former evangelical pastor, this book reexamines the six “clobber” verses used against queer people.

📘 Queer Virtue by Rev. Elizabeth M. Edman
A bold reframe that centers queerness as a sacred moral path—and a gift to the church.

✊ Queer-Affirming Faith & Advocacy Orgs

🌈 Believe Out Loud
A powerful platform amplifying LGBTQ+ voices of faith.
www.believeoutloud.com

🌈 The Reformation Project
Reclaiming Christianity from the inside out—faithful, affirming, and unapologetic.
www.reformationproject.org

🌈 Church Clarity
Helping you know where churches really stand on LGBTQ+ inclusion.
www.churchclarity.org

💖 A Final Blessing

To every queer soul who was told they were too much, too loud, too sinful, too anything—

We see you.
We believe you.
We built this space for you.

✨ You are sacred here.
✨ You are loved without condition.
✨ You are never alone again.

Welcome home.